How basalt fibers resist freeze-thaw damage in asphalt mixtures: a study of discrete element coupled water ice phase transition

Research Overview

A study titled “Quantitative Assessment of Basal Fiber Reinforcement Against Freeze thus Damage in Asphalt Mixtures: A Discrete Element Method Coupling Water ice Phase Transition” was published in Volume 547 of Construction and Building Materials (November 14, 2026) by Shaowei Ni, Meizhu Chen, Wenbo Luo, and Zhichao Wang. This study focuses on the damage problem of asphalt mixtures under freeze-thaw cycles, using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupled with the water ice phase transition process to quantitatively evaluate the reinforcement effect of basalt fibers.

Methods and Focus

Research on incorporating water ice phase transition into a discrete element framework to simulate the mechanical response of asphalt mixtures during freeze-thaw processes.

. Although the source text only provides the title and author information, without disclosing the specific mix proportion, fiber content, freeze-thaw cycle times, and quantitative results, it can be clearly stated from the title that the research core is to “quantitatively evaluate” the strengthening effect of basalt fibers on the freeze-thaw damage of asphalt mixtures, emphasizing the coupling of water ice phase transition and discrete element method. This provides a numerical analysis path for understanding the bridging and crack resistance mechanisms of fibers under the combined action of low temperature and moisture.

Significance of building and home decoration materials

Asphalt materials are involved in roof waterproofing, road and ground paving, sealing and joint treatment, and other scenarios in the field of building and home decoration. Their weather resistance and aging performance directly affect their service life.

. Freeze thaw failure is one of the common failure modes of asphalt materials in cold regions. After water enters the pores, it freezes and expands, and repeated cycles lead to the propagation of microcracks. Basalt fiber, as an inorganic fiber reinforcement material, is expected to delay the initiation and propagation of freeze-thaw cracks if it can form effective bridging and stress dispersion in asphalt matrix. From the perspective of the polymer additive industry, asphalt modification is often used in combination with polymer modifiers, antioxidants, light stabilizers, etc. to enhance weather resistance and stability. Although this study did not involve polymer additives, its quantitative evaluation approach for freeze-thaw damage can provide methodological references for the weather resistance design of asphalt based waterproofing membranes, sealants, and paving materials in building materials. For example, when evaluating the outdoor durability of PVC profiles or asphalt building materials, freeze-thaw cycles and moisture phase transitions are equally important factors that cannot be ignored in accelerating aging; Considering the synergistic effect of fiber reinforcement with stabilizing systems such as antioxidants and light stabilizers can help build a more complete weather resistant and stable solution.

Industry Insights

This study suggests that the durability evaluation of asphalt materials for construction and home decoration can draw on numerical methods coupled with multiple physical fields, incorporating water ice phase transition, fiber reinforcement, and matrix aging into a unified framework.

. For additive companies, this means that when recommending products such as antioxidants and light stabilizers, they can focus on their synergistic performance in a freeze-thaw moisture coupling environment, not just limited to thermal oxidation or UV aging. It should be pointed out that the source did not provide specific experimental data and detailed conclusions, and the relevant quantitative results should be based on the full text of the paper.

Information source:Quantitative assessment of basalt fiber reinforcement against freeze-thaw damage in asphalt mixtures: A discrete element method coupling water-ice phase transition， Organized by Herun Chemical.